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Levi Tafari can be viewed performing this poem on the JECH web site at: http://www.jech.com/misc/poems.shtml with children from Windsor Street School in Liverpool, UK. The Editors would like to thank Windsor Street School and National Museums Liverpool (http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk) for their help with the filming of this performance.
“Well hello everybody how do you do? I wanna introduce myself to you! My name is LITTER I dwell in the gutter I’m comprised of glass, wood, metal and paper I’m getting larger hour after hour you’ll find me lurking in your area.” “I move around the city I make it untidy to human beings I’m really unhealthy I’m not very pretty in fact I’m quite ugly some people even say I’m real dirty so I do what I can to upset man I’m unpopular I’m not a part of his plan a menace to society I’m very naughty like poison I’m quite deadly vermin love me I make them feel secure I’m produced by the rich thrown out by the poor I’ve been around a really long time even though you’ve made dropping me a crime and if you think I’m rough you ain’t seen nothing yet I’ll get up to your neck and make you sweat this is a promise it is not a threat yes you can call me names say I’m no good but it won’t stop me messing up your neighbourhood.” “Because I’m LITTER from the gutter and my mission is to make you SUFFER.”
Acknowledgments
This poem was originally published in Tafari L. Rhyme Don’t Pay. Wirral, UK: Headland Publications, 1993 (available from Headland Publications at 38 York Avenue, West Kirby, Wirral CH48 3JF), and is reproduced in the JECH with the author’s permission.
Supplementary materials
Tafari Poem Collection
This poem is one of a collection of eight poems by Levi Tafari on environmental health.
A recording (video and audio) of this and three other poems from the collection are available.Files in this Data Supplement:
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